English

horsethief

From horse + thief.

A compound of horse + thief

Proto-Germanic *hrussą ‘horse’

Proto-West Germanic *hross ‘horse’

Old English hors ‘horse’

Middle English hors ‘a horse’

English horse

Proto-Germanic *þeubaz

Proto-West Germanic *þeub

Old English þēof

Middle English thef ‘a fraudster or con artist’

English thief

Today it means

noun —

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / horsethief